


Layers of Suggestion

by rahmiel



Series: Jōnin!Iruka [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Umino Iruka, Investigations, Jounin Umino Iruka, Mission Fic, Mystery, Umino Iruka-centric, but they're working from home, overworked jounins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27711643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rahmiel/pseuds/rahmiel
Summary: When random chunins start breaking out in fights all over the place, jonin Umino Iruka is tasked with finding the reason why. At first, the cases seem unconnected. But as time goes on, and with the help of his colleagues, Iruka starts piecing together a picture that looks to be far more sinister than anyone had anticipated.Something is going on in Konoha. And Iruka will find out exactly what that is.
Relationships: Umino Iruka & Original Character(s), Umino Iruka & Yamato | Tenzou
Series: Jōnin!Iruka [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999123
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

“Captain,” the chunin on Iruka’s team said, “the guards have something to tell you.”

Iruka turned, looking up from where he was rifling through his bag. “Ah, yes?”

“Iruka-san, the Hokage is requesting your presence in her office,” one of the guards said, while the other gestured to take the scroll Iruka had taken out of his bag in the meantime. 

Iruka shook his head. “I will take this to the Hokage directly. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

“Not at all, Iruka-san.”

Turning to look at the rest of his team, Iruka nodded. “Good work on the mission. I think this was our record time.” He grinned. “Yamabi, go get some rest. And Toshio, you better eat something filling tonight. Dismissed!” 

Saluting him with matching grins, the two chunins hopped out of the guard tower and towards the shinobi residential district. Iruka bid the guards goodbye and made his way towards the administrative buildings shortly after.

The Hokage requesting his presence specifically could mean any number of things. On his way there, Iruka rifled through the possible reasons for the unexpected summons. He could think of anything ranging from a personal request to a highly classified mission, although some would say those were one and the same. It could be an errand Tsunade wanted Iruka to run, or he was needed as a replacement captain on some genin team. Whatever the reason, Iruka tried to hurry, in case the matter was time-sensitive.

He stumbled on a couple of roofs, the exhaustion from the past month finally catching up to him. He’d been going on missions back-to-back without much break, and although he was used to working hard he’d never worn himself so thin. Still, there was something in him that was pushing him to work harder, to prove himself further. Iruka was getting better and better, and he didn’t want to let that go. 

It was also easier than having to sit alone in his apartment and miss Naruto, who’d gone to train with Jiraiya. It had stung a little when, after Naruto’s failed pursuit of Sasuke, Tsunade had denied Iruka’s request to train the boy. Iruka was capable enough, of course, especially since his field of expertise was similar to Jiraiya’s, but she’d needed him on active duty then more than ever. 

Soon enough Iruka arrived at Tsunade’s office. The guards nodded him in and he made quick work of dusting himself off and pushing errant strands of hair out of his face before straightening up and walking into the room. 

Tsunade was sitting at her desk, hunched over some documents with a frown on her face. Shizune and Tonton were nowhere to be seen, so it was unusual for the Fifth to be working hard even in their absence. When she noticed Iruka had walked in, she beckoned him over with a deep sigh.

“Hello, Iruka.” She saw the scroll clutched in Iruka’s hand and extended hers. Iruka gave her the information and stood to attention. “Your mission went well.”

“It did, Hokage-sama.” 

“No trouble?”

“We were pursued by a group of thieves which we quickly shrugged off, as they were unaffiliated with any hidden villages and barely trained. At the site we encountered guards whom we had to dispatch. Otherwise, no.”

“Your punctual and precise reports are one of the few things I look forward to, believe me,” she sighed again, rubbing her forehead. “I called you in for a mission.”

“I’m ready to leave immediately, Hokage-sama,” Iruka began, but Tsunade cut him off. 

“No, no. A different kind of mission. There’s something going on here in Konoha, and I need you to investigate.”

“I presume this is classified?”

“Correct. I have not spoken to anyone else on this issue, so after I share this information it is up to you to decide whether you want back-up or someone to work with.” Tsunade shuffled through the stack of papers on the right side of her desk and pulled out a couple of manila folders. "I need you to investigate something. In the past two weeks there have been multiple fights breaking out in bars, the mission room, on training grounds and so on. You might say this is nothing unusual for Konoha, and you’d be right. But they seem to be instigated by and happening between what are otherwise exceptionally stable shinobi, as you’d be able to glean from their files.” She handed Iruka the folders and waited until he skimmed their contents. 

As far as Iruka could tell, Tsunade was right. He knew some of these people, for the most part chunins he’d gone on one-off missions with, and they were one of the most reliable ninjas Konoha could offer. He could personally vouch for them, and imagining them starting a bar fight over something trivial was almost impossible. But apparently, it was happening. 

“I want you to look at those files and tell me if you notice anything they have in common, aside from their rank. I don’t think this is normal, and it’s been causing a toll on both the quality and the quantity of Konoha’s mission completion rates, since we’ve had a bunch of chunins out of commission and recovering from their…  _ stupor. _ We can’t fall back, not now,” Tsunade said with a pointed stare at Iruka. “And another thing. Don’t you  _ dare  _ give this mission to someone else so you can take another one outside of the village. You’re lucky I’m not chaining you to your bed so you can rest. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been working yourself thin, Umino. I like dedication, but I like my valuable jonins alive more than that.”

Iruka blushed and rubbed the scar on his nose sheepishly, because that thought had begun forming in his mind already. “Yes, Tsunade-sama.”

“Dismissed,” she said and dived back behind a mountain of paper. Before Iruka left, he could hear her faint grumble in the background. “Damn Hatake rubbing off on everyone. Workaholics.”

Chuckling to himself because Tsunade’s assessment was probably correct, Iruka exited the office and nodded goodbye to the guards. 

His body turned the autopilot on. The way to his apartment had been etched deep into muscle memory, and he shot across the roofs with practiced ease, despite his exhaustion. He was eager to get home and let his hair down. Maybe he could draw a bath while he looked over the files, then rope Genma into going out for dinner… 

Iruka was so zoned out on his way home that he almost didn’t pick up the telltale signs of a scuffle below him. It was in one of the side alleys that connected to the main streets where all the vendors were. Usually any loud street brawl happened there, rooted in item price disagreements, between displeased buyers and merchants alike. The fights in the darker alleys were quieter, more about settling longer held grudges, and drawing attention to those usually meant an example would be made of you for everyone else. So a loud fight like this was unusual.

Because of what Tsunade had just told him, where otherwise Iruka would have shrugged this off and let ANBU or someone with similar authority handle it, he decided to descend and see for himself what exactly was happening. 

The sun had set by the time Iruka left the Hokage’s office, so he melted in the shadows between the buildings and watched.

From his position, Iruka recognized one of the men fighting, having seen him around Hatake Kakashi enough times that he could vaguely pick his identity up, even in darkness. Tenzo was dodging blows from what looked to be a chunin Iruka couldn’t recognize. He was being careful not to retaliate to any of the attacks, instead opting to evade them. The difference in skill was obvious. Where the chunin clumsily swung his fist and kicked at his opponent, Tenzo danced from side to side, parrying and evading. Iruka admired the practiced ease of his fellow jonin. Tenzo wasn’t even out of breath.

It didn’t escape Iruka’s notice that this was another chunin starting a fight which in any other circumstance would not have happened. The hierarchy in Konoha was not a trivial thing, on the basis of respect, but even more importantly on the sheer difference in skill between the ranks. Gaining a rank was a huge accomplishment. Chunin respected jonin because they were aware of the sheer disparity in power level and skill. A chunin starting a fight with a jonin, in the middle of Konoha no less, meant something was deeply wrong. Either a suicide mission or they were under the influence of something that most likely wasn’t just alcohol. 

Both were cause for concern.

He decided to step in and give Tenzo a hand. The man was skilled but Iruka wasn’t going to leave. Especially not now that he suspected this was another strange occurrence that fit the profile of what he was supposed to be investigating. 

Making his presence known, Iruka stepped out of the shadows and drew chakra to his palms. Iruka knew Tenzo had noticed him immediately even though he gave no indication of it, but the chunin hadn’t. 

Waiting for the right time to strike, Iruka crept up from behind. Soon enough, Tenzo twisted, surprising his assailant with an unexpected shift to offense that sent him fleeing backwards, right into Iruka’s trap. With a swift move Iruka struck, his palm flat and charged with chakra, right in the junction of the man’s neck and shoulder. Not expecting the blow, the chunin was stunned by the hit, and Iruka easily grabbed both his arms and maneuvered him until the man was on the ground, forehead resting against it.

“Identify yourself,” Iruka said, his tone cold. The chunin didn’t respond, but whimpered when Iruka pressed down on his bent arms. “Or I break your bones.” He wouldn’t, not really. But Iruka thought this was the perfect opportunity to practice his bluffing.

It was too easy, however. “Sasaki!” the man yelled, his voice trembling with fear. “Sasaki Hiro!”

“Sasaki-san,” Iruka nodded, his tone bone-chillingly pleasant. “Pray tell, why would you start a fight with a jonin? I don’t doubt your intelligence. I’m sure you know it’s inadvisable from all angles, no matter how you look at it.”

“I-I don’t know!” the man said, and it sounded as if he was crying. “I swear! I was just going home, I came back from a mission earlier and I… I was just going home. I don’t know why I did it. I just felt like I had to.” Sasaki sniffled on the ground, and Iruka loosened his hold enough for the man to raise his head and look at both the jonins standing there. “I’m so sorry! It won’t happen again, Jonin-san, it won’t.” 

The man’s gaze was trained on Tenzo, who’d been watching the situation unfold silently. He came closer now, his dark eyes narrowing. “Sasaki-san. What do you mean when you say you  _ felt like you had to?” _

Sasaki paused as if puzzled by this revelation himself. He stared blankly into Tenzo’s equally impassive expression for a couple of moments, silence stretching between the three men in the dark alley. Then he shook his head, as if coming out of a daze. 

“What did I say?” Sasaki asked, befuddlement evident on his face.

Tenzo blinked. It reminded Iruka of an owl. “You said you ‘felt like you had to’ attack me. Please elaborate.” 

“I don’t remember that,” came the response from the man, whose gaze was now rapidly moving from Tenzo to Iruka and back again. “Please, just let me go. I don’t know what happened.”

Iruka furrowed his brow. This was deeply unsettling. Either Sasaki was an extremely good actor, or he really did not remember what he’d said merely moments before. Sharing a concerned look with Tenzo, Iruka pulled the chunin up until they were standing side by side. 

“I will let you go now. If you make a move to run or to attack, know that I will not be as kind as my colleague,” Iruka warned. 

Sasaki nodded with vigor, wearing a pained expression as he rubbed his shoulder once Iruka released him. “I swear. The last thing I remember is walking towards my apartment. The rest… feels like a blur. I don’t even know what I said while you were holding me down.” He turned to Tenzo once again and bowed deeply, almost at a ninety degree angle. “You have my apologies, Jonin-san.”

Tenzo inclined his head, acknowledging the man but offering no other response. His brow was furrowed in a display of confusion, or maybe annoyance. Iruka found it hard to read that face.

“Are you feeling well otherwise, Sasaki-san?” Iruka asked, more politeness seeping into his tone now that the situation had deescalated. 

“Yes… I think so,” Sasaki said, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t have any injuries, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Not even from your mission?” Iruka raised his brows. 

“I seem to be… fine,” the man said, still a little absentmindedly. “Can I go home now?”

“You will come with me,” Tenzo suddenly said, coming close and grabbing Sasaki’s bicep. Sasaki visibly blanched and went to take a step backwards, but immediately aborted the action once he realized Tenzo was not going to let him go.

“Where will you be taking him, Tenzo-san?” Iruka asked.

“Intelligence. Thank you for your help, Umino-san,” Tenzo dipped his head in a bow.

“It was nothing. Until next time,” Iruka smiled and jumped back on the roofs. 

Although he’d said his goodbye in a lighthearted manner, Iruka was feeling anything but. His stomach churned as he finally made it all the way to his apartment.

That night, as Iruka drew his bath and chewed on his dinner absentmindedly, he tried to wrap his head around what he knew already. But beyond what he’d already surmised, he couldn’t think of anything else. 

It was disconcerting, what he’d witnessed happen. Iruka couldn’t shake the feeling that it was somehow connected to his mission, and if it was, it raised questions which would complicate the matter even further. Not only were chunins with squeaky clean records breaking out in fights all over Konoha, it was possible that memory tampering and mind control was involved in it as well. And that was not a pleasant thought at all.

Just what was going on in Konoha?


	2. Chapter 2

Morning came, and it did nothing to illuminate the problem Iruka was facing.

Staring at the files spread out in front of him with a cup of coffee and a frown on his face, Iruka considered them once again, the gears in his head turning. As he’d previously noted, most of them were chunins. There were a couple of jonins too, although it seemed that they were promoted only recently, so it did not discredit the connection fully, much to Iruka’s relief. Still, even that connection was flimsy. There was nothing that all chunins had in common except for skill level, and that was a vague classification at best. A lot of chunins continued working on their skills without ever feeling the need to get a promotion. So the main question went unanswered - what was the thread connecting all these people together? 

Iruka sighed and lifted his arms above his head, feeling the joints in his back pop pleasantly. He glanced through the open window in his living room. It was a warm and inviting day outside, and Iruka was itching to stretch his legs. It would help loosen the tension still lingering in his muscles after his mission. He left the files spread out on his coffee table and decided to get some groceries.

On the way to the market, Iruka realized that he didn’t have the file for Sasaki Hiro on hand. Whatever had caused Sasaki’s outburst the previous night, Iruka was close to certain it was the same thing affecting everyone else, so it was prudent he checked it out as well. 

Diverting his course towards the archives, Iruka wasted no time in looking for the needed information. He’d already been cleared by Tsunade so he had no problems entering, but when he got to the files and began searching for Sasaki’s, he soon found that it was missing. This was not particularly concerning, but it did hinder Iruka’s investigation. A quick look at the log book confirmed that it was actually Tenzo who’d taken the file. 

Iruka was not at all surprised. Tenzo was a thorough and careful man, and he’d witnessed Sasaki’s odd behavior firsthand. A thought began forming in Iruka’s head. Maybe he didn’t have to do this investigation alone.

The bustling market was a pleasant distraction, full of civilians and shinobi alike, and Iruka happily greeted the people he knew with a smile. After getting what he needed, he slowly walked back home, basking in the morning sunlight. He’d missed Konoha, despite the fact that he and his team had completed their mission relatively quickly.

The thought of his team made him pause, and then his blood ran cold. Yamabi and Toshio were chunins, and although he knew at least Yamabi was gunning for jonin, they both still had a ways to go to get there. Whatever it was that was causing this situation, it had Iruka worried for his subordinates. He’d been their captain since the two made chunin together six months ago and Iruka had grown quite fond of the pair. Together with Iruka, they worked really well as a trio.

Iruka bolted immediately, the bag of groceries clenched tightly in his hand. He must’ve looked funny dashing on top of the roofs with leeks jutting out of his bag, but he barely even thought about it as he jumped his way through Konoha. No sooner than five minutes later he was in the residential district again, the section that contained the chunin apartments. 

He knocked on Yamabi’s door, hoping that she was awake. A minute later Yamabi opened it, clad in her pyjamas and rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her long, dark blue hair was loose and framing her face, giving her a peculiar softness Iruka hadn’t seen before.

“Oh, captain,” she yawned. “What brings you here?”

A quick assessment of the facts told Iruka what he’d come to find out: there were no signs of struggle on her and she’d also spent the night at home, not in a holding cell. She’d followed his instructions and went to sleep as soon as she came back. He sighed in relief and smiled at Yamabi, trying not to alarm her, although he knew he must’ve looked frazzled when she opened the door. 

“I just wanted to check on you. Got enough sleep, I hope?” 

“Yeah. I just got up. Toshio and I are going to the training grounds in a bit.”

“Where is he?” Iruka asked.

“At the Yamanaka compound, of course. I keep telling him it would be easier if we just move in together, but apparently they don’t want to let him go.”

“It’s just the custom with bigger clans, I fear,” Iruka chuckled.

“I’ve noticed. You know, Iruka-san, if you wanted to get me groceries, you could’ve at least asked what I needed,” Yamabi said with a raised brow.

“Ah…” Iruka blushed, caught red handed. “I really just wanted to check on you. There’s been… more violence in Konoha lately. I was worried.”

“For me and Toshi? You know we can handle ourselves.”

“Yes, of course, but… just stay safe. Okay? I don’t want to lose my team.”

“Sure, captain. We like working with you too.”

Iruka blushed some more. “You can call me Iruka, you know. I’m not that much older than you.”

“That’s true. Even so, you’re already our jonin captain. Watch out and you might get a genin team soon,” Yamabi grinned. “Go home and get some more rest as well,  _ Iruka.  _ You’re worrying too much.”

_ If only you knew, _ Iruka thought as he waved Yamabi goodbye and walked sullenly to his apartment. He had so little information to go off about a situation that worried him deeply. He didn’t like it one bit.

When he arrived back home, he was greeted by the sight of Tenzo lingering around the entrance to his apartment. Iruka made sure to approach audibly to alert the man of his presence. 

“Iruka-san,” Tenzo greeted when he noticed Iruka. He bowed his head slightly with a gentle smile on his face. “I hope you don’t mind I came to visit. I have some things I need to discuss.” 

“No, not at all…” Iruka said, trailing off when he started considering how serendipitous it was that Tenzo was here right as Iruka had begun considering filling the man in on the mission. He unlocked his door and took a minute to fuss with the seals he’d put on his apartment, letting Tenzo in. “How did you know which apartment was mine?” he asked as he toed his sandals off. He disappeared for a moment to put his groceries away.

“I asked Genma-san. He pointed me towards you,” Tenzo explained, his voice muted from where he was standing in the hallway. “I was just about to leave since you were not answering the door.” 

Once in the living room, Iruka gathered the files on the table into one big stack and set them aside. Tenzo had followed him in and was now hovering in the middle of the room, so Iruka gestured for the man to sit on the couch. 

“Ah, good thing I chose to come back just then,” Iruka chuckled. “I actually wanted to speak with you as well.”

“I believe we are here to discuss a mission,” Tenzo nodded, letting Iruka know they were already on the same page. He extended his hand and put a folder on Iruka’s coffee table. Iruka hadn’t noticed Tenzo carrying it, but he knew at once what it was. “This is Sasaki Hiro’s file. What happened yesterday was concerning.”

“Did you speak to Tsunade-sama about it?” Iruka asked, sitting down across Tenzo and picking up the file.

“I did. I went there after dropping Sasaki at T&I.” Tenzo looked thoughtful. “He was cooperative and accepted the probing from the Yamanaka with no fuss. They said nothing was wrong with him, and that he wasn’t lying. I was going to the Hokage’s office for a report in any case, and I mentioned the situation in passing. She told me I could come to you for more information,” Tenzo said, his eyes sliding to the stack of folders on the table.

Iruka followed Tenzo’s gaze and reached out, spreading the files on the table again. “Yes. I noticed this morning Sasaki’s file was missing and was out now in order to get it. Upon seeing you’d taken the file I decided to ask you to join me in my investigation.” Iruka grinned. “Things worked out pretty well.”

Tenzo smiled softly in return. Only then did Iruka remember his manners, and he scrambled to his feet, dashing towards the kitchen.

“Would you like some tea, Tenzo-san? I’m sorry for not asking earlier. This has been heavy on my mind.”

“Tea would be nice,” Tenzo nodded.

Iruka left the man to his own devices while he was preparing their tea, and when he came back he saw that Tenzo had been looking at the files of the other affected shinobi. He put a cup in front of Tenzo and sat down, cradling the other to himself. “I hope you like green tea,” Iruka said.

“It’s perfect,” Tenzo said after he tasted it. “I looked at these files. I take it you don’t mind?”

“No, of course not,” Iruka grinned, secretly amused by the utter politeness of their conversation. People usually let Iruka take the lead with social pleasantries, but Tenzo was reciprocating in a way no one else had before. It made for an amusing interaction, but Iruka decided to cut to the chase. “So, let’s get down to business. How much do you know already, Tenzo-san?”

Tenzo straightened up, putting the cup back on the table. “From what I could gather, what happened yesterday is the most recent in a series of similar occurrences. It appears that whatever the cause of this, it's affecting primarily chunins, and I’m yet to make any further connections.”

“Well,” Iruka frowned, “that’s the gist of it. I don’t know any more than you do, unfortunately. The only reasoning I can come up with in terms of the shinobi’s rank is that chunins may be less skilled at detecting the perpetrator…” Iruka trailed off, not having anything more to add. The lack of information they had was astounding. 

Tenzo nodded. “That’s the most plausible explanation. What’s disconcerting is that there is no apparent end goal. It leads me to believe this may be a diversion or the precursor to something bigger.”

“You’re right,” Iruka sighed. “I’m glad you’ve decided to join me. I’m not sure if I could handle this on my own. There's so little to go off and it looks like it might take a lot of guessing.”

“Of course, Iruka-san. Although, I am inclined to believe Tsunade-sama has given you this mission specifically for a reason.”

“How so?” Iruka asked, his brows raised in surprise.

“You have your way with people,” Tenzo smiled. “They trust you, and open up to you. Even Kakashi-senpai, who may not be overt about it, but I’m certain he holds you in high regard.”

“But how is that related?” 

“The reason for that is that you’re very good at reading them, and I’m inclined to believe this mission will require lots of careful observation on that front.”

“You seem to be good at reading people as well, if what you just said is any indication of that,” Iruka chuckled.

“Well, as good as you are at reading people, you seem to be equally as bad at masking your own feelings and actions.”

Iruka laughed, amused by the sudden personality analysis. “I suppose that’s true, but give yourself more credit. Not everyone can come up with such a cohesive description of others’ traits.” 

Tenzo hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe so. In any case, Iruka-san, I’m surprised no one has mentioned this to you yet. You are extremely expressive.”

“Oh, I am aware of that. At one point I was of half a mind to start wearing a mask like Kakashi-san. I even tried to, but I had to take it off after half an hour of running. I’m not sure how he does it. No undercover missions for me, I suppose.”

“Your talents in sealing and combat would be wasted on undercover missions, despite how good you are with people.”

Iruka blushed, batting his hand in Tenzo’s direction. “Ah, enough of that. You’re praising me too much, Tenzo-san.” 

In fact, it was odd. They hadn’t interacted much before, only when Kakashi would decide to invite both of them to dinner together, and even on those rare occasions it had been polite, superficial conversation. Caught off guard by Tenzo's sudden forthcoming attitude, Iruka wanted to turn the tables a little. 

Before Tenzo had a chance to say anything, Iruka continued. “Since I'm so good at reading people, aren't you curious to find out what I think of you?”

Tenzo's mouth opened a little, caught off guard, and something in Iruka's chest purred like a cat that had caught its prey. But the surprised expression on Tenzo's face quickly melted into the one he usually wore, if a bit sheepish, and he looked away. “Maybe we should get to work, Iruka-san?”

Sighing, Iruka shook himself out of the playfulness that had overcome him. There was a time and place to make friends, and it wasn't when you were supposed to be investigating a mysterious situation. 

“You're right, we should,” Iruka said as he scooped up approximately half of the folders on the desk. “Shall we go through these once more?”

***

It was two hours later and Iruka was just about ready to rip all the files apart, for all the good they'd done in the investigation so far, when Tenzo spoke up. 

“I think I've got something,” Tenzo said, breaking the silence that had settled over them. He looked at Iruka with something akin to elation, albeit a bit muted after staring at the files for so long. 

Iruka met Tenzo's eyes with an excited grin, wanting to hear whatever Tenzo had noticed, no matter how small. 

Tenzo shuffled through the pages in some of the folders closest to him, opening them on the page containing the shinobi's medical records and laying them out next to each other.

“Look here,” he said, pointing at the page. Iruka leaned in, trying to read what Tenzo was pointing out. “This man, he went to Konoha Hospital for his regular psychological evaluation.”

Iruka blinked rapidly, confused. “Yes…? What’s so odd about that?”

“Tsunade-sama’s mandatory psychological evaluations have been in place for over a year now, so you’re right that it’s not odd in and of itself. However…” Tenzo shifted the papers around, putting another one at the forefront. “Here as well. This person also went to Konoha Hospital soon after coming back from their mission.”

Upon closely inspecting the other files, Iruka realized that Tenzo’s observation was correct - every single one of the affected shinobi had gone for a check-up to Konoha Hospital, whether it was to treat their injuries or for a therapy session. 

“Do you think there’s a connection here?” Iruka questioned. “It’s standard procedure, especially for chunins who may be more prone to mishaps on their missions.”

Tenzo frowned. “None of them visited the smaller medical outpost, which is also a viable option. It might be grasping at straws, but we don’t have anything else to consider. To be frank, I wouldn’t have noticed this if it weren’t for the fact that me and Sasaki were actually on the same route after exiting the hospital.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed. We left at approximately the same time. He was running ahead of me, presumably on his way home as well, and I caught up to him. As soon as he noticed me he attacked. You saw us right after that.”

“That’s interesting. So, the assumption here is that something at the hospital is causing this strange behavior?” 

“Something - or someone,” Tenzo said, pursing his lips.

Iruka sighed. “I’m worried, Tenzo-san. I don’t like the questions this raises.” 

They exchanged a silent look. Tenzo mirrored Iruka’s sigh, reaching out to finish his third cup of tea. “Me too. I think we need to take a break.”

“Gods, I agree,” Iruka said, stretching out his legs under the coffee table. “So, what were you doing at the hospital? Were you hurt on your mission?” he asked, careful to avoid Tenzo's legs on the other side of the table in his stretching. 

“Just a scratch.” Tenzo rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and Iruka saw a bandage wrapped around his forearm. From what he'd seen of Tenzo already the man didn't seem to be limited in his range of motion, so it really must have been just a scratch. “But I was also there for my regular check-up,” Tenzo said. 

Iruka nodded in understanding. “I haven't had mine in a while. I've been taking too many missions lately, and it's long overdue.” He winced thinking about Tsunade's rage if she found out he'd been avoiding the evaluation. 

“It was hard for me to adjust,” Tenzo confessed. “I am aware that for many shinobi, the younger recruits especially, this system is very useful. I am not opposing it in any way. For me, however - it’s been harder, considering my past experiences.”

Iruka did not know which past experiences Tenzo was speaking of, and he thought it was too early in their relationship to find out, but he still understood the sentiment. The way things had been done, back when the Third had still been alive, was much different. If you were capable of completing your missions, you were good to go. Therapy was only there for when you became unfit for work.

“I know what you mean. I imagine for a lot of older jonins it’s the same.”

A quick rapping at Iruka’s window startled them. They’d been so engrossed in discussing Tenzo’s findings that neither had felt anyone approaching. 

“Who do you think that is?” Tenzo asked. Iruka could think of a couple of people that would be bold enough to climb up to his window and bother him there instead of the front door like a normal person. “It’s not Kakashi-senpai, because he’s on a mission.”

“Then it’s either my current team, Genma, or Anko,” Iruka said, rolling his eyes.

“Hey!” Genma said, slipping through the window he’d opened from the outside. The protective seals’ chakra shifted to let him in. “I’m older than you, where’s the honorific?”

“You don’t deserve one,” Iruka bit out, but he was grinning. “What are you even doing here?”

“I’m taking you out for lunch,” Genma winked. He took the senbon out of his mouth and blew a kiss towards Iruka. “To make up for you bailing on me for dinner yesterday. You can come too, Tenzo-san.” He was looking at the pair, his gaze carefully avoiding the files on the table. Iruka smiled.

“That sounds like a great idea, actually. Care to join us, Tenzo-san?”

Tenzo grimaced apologetically. “Actually, I have to go now. I have some things I need to do.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Genma said. “You’re so mysterious, I practically know nothing about you.”

Tenzo smiled, but it seemed a little more contained than the smiles directed at Iruka earlier. “Iruka-san, would you like to train with me tomorrow morning?” Tenzo asked. 

Iruka nodded eagerly. It would be a good cover for their investigation to the rest of the world. “I would like that. Around seven?”

“I’ll come by,” Tenzo agreed, stacking the files and putting them in the corner of the table, where they’d been in the morning. He straightened up and made his way to the door. “Have a good day, Iruka-san, Genma-san.” 

Nodding at them in lieu of goodbye, Tenzo left the apartment, leaving Iruka with a smirking Genma.

“Making  _ friends, _ Iruka?” Genma said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“Oh shut up, Genma,” Iruka said, grabbing the hand Genma had offered and getting up. “We’re working.”

“I can see that. It still does not explain how chummy you were getting.”

“Is there a problem with that?” Iruka bristled. He couldn’t help but get defensive. He did like Tenzo and was secretly happy that this mission was giving them an excuse to spend more time together, but he didn’t want to admit it outright. 

Genma seemed to have read every emotion that had passed on Iruka’s face perfectly well, because he just smirked and put his hand on Iruka’s lower back. “Not a problem at all, cutie. Just make sure to keep your sparring strictly professional,” he chuckled.

Iruka’s face went beet red. “Stop  _ insinuating  _ things! I do not have ulterior motives! And neither does Tenzo-san, for that matter.”

“Sure, sure,” Genma said, leading Iruka out of the apartment. Iruka absentmindedly locked the door and put the seals back in place, chewing on his lip in frustration. “I can’t wait until Kakashi finds out about this, though!”

Iruka kicked Genma, who pretended to be deeply wounded by it. For all Genma’s antics, Iruka enjoyed the man’s company greatly. They’d been friends for years, and there was nothing as relaxing as a shared meal spent bickering and gossiping over the mundane little details that made up their lives.

Having Tenzo help with the investigation had been a great idea - Iruka wasn’t sure if he would’ve noticed the connection had he been looking for it all on his own. It would have to wait until the next day, though. The time he spent with Genma that afternoon managed to put all stray thoughts about the mysterious occurrences at rest. 

Iruka just hoped this time, the morning would bring some more clarity. At the very least, he wished a plan of action would weave itself from all those unconnected tendrils in his dreams. It would make his job a lot easier.


End file.
